Brian Dougherty is a Partner in the Chicago office of GRSM. He represents clients with matters under local, state and federal anti-discrimination laws, employment termination, and breach of contract. He also handles professional liability matters and construction negligence cases involving contractors, subcontractors, and architects. Brian also has experience representing clients in disputes under the Uniform Commercial Code, trade secrets, business torts, and preference avoidance actions under the United States Bankruptcy Code. He also advises clients on compliance with state and federal employment laws, including reviewing and drafting employee handbooks and employment contracts, as well as counseling client’s human resources personnel on investigations into workplace discrimination, harassment, and discipline.
- Business Email Compromise: How the Courts Are Addressing Civil Liability, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, January 2024
- The “Relation Back” Rule: Be Cautious of Why You Are Adding New Defendants, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, May 2023
- Illinois Contract Law on Force Majeure, Impossibility, Impracticability and Commercial Frustration in the Age of COVID-19, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, June 2020
- The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act: What Employers Should Know, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, October 2019
- Tortious Behavior Against Employees: Strategies and Defenses, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, September 2019
- Defending Against Sexual Harassment: The Employer’s Perspective, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, March 2018
- The Americans with Disabilities Act’s Limitations: Not A Tool for the Brazen, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, January 2018
- New Overtime Rule Impacts Exempt Employees, Illinois State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section, August 2016
- Defending Against Sexual Harassment: The Employer’s Perspective, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, March 2018
- The Americans with Disabilities Act’s Limitations: Not a Tool for the Brazen, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association January 2018
- Labor and Storage Liens Under Illinois Law, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, February 2016
- Proving Discrimination Circumstantially Through Pretext, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, May 2015
- Illinois Pregnancy Discrimination Law, Illinois State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section, February 2015
- The Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act, DuPage County Bar Association, December 2024
Admissions
- Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Northern and Central Districts of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Federal Court Trial Bar
Memberships
- Illinois State Bar Association
- DuPage County Bar Association
- DuPage County Bar Association Editorial Board, 2015 to 2021
- Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, 2018-2019
Community Involvement
- Board Member, Illinois Independent Living Center in Naperville, Illinois, May 2022-July 2024
Education
- J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 1999
- B.A., cum laude, Loyola University Chicago, 1996
Honors
- Super Lawyers® distinction in Labor and Employment (2024)